What Have You Done for Me Lately? It’s the Wrong Question.

Recently, I was a guest on the podcast In Sync with Linda Martin. During our conversation, which won’t be available for several more weeks, Linda asked me about the number of leaders who still operate from a position of “What have you done for me lately?” We discussed it from the perspective of pre- and post-COVID.

Pre-COVID, it was a common question. Many employees felt it. Their currency rested not in what they achieved yesterday but in what they do today. While we can appreciate that CEOs don’t want employees resting on their laurels (although there’s hardly much danger of that, considering an employee hasn’t received a laurel wreath for a job well done in a few thousand years), they shouldn’t live in fear of their jobs either. Good employees invite being challenged; they loathe being threatened. There’s a difference.

During COVID, many leaders leaned into their humanity and opened meetings by asking people HOW they were doing versus WHAT they were doing. Now that the worst of what the world faced with the pandemic may be behind us, although it still lingers, we are worried that too many CEOs may be getting back to their old ways, particularly in the context of today’s economic uncertainties and volatile market conditions. When it comes to living your values and leading with empathy, it’s much easier to do so when times are good, yet when times are challenging, it really counts.

The Data 

Stagwell, a digital-first marketing network led by Chairman & CEO Mark Penn, posted some rather sobering findings from an October 2023 Harris Survey on Toxic Bosses:

As more hybrid and remote workers return to the office, the toxic boss of the Zoom screen is now appearing in real life, according to our Harris Poll research.

• 71% of workers have had a toxic boss at one point in their careers.
• 31% are currently working with one – dealing with such behaviors as unprofessionalism, credit-stealing and unreasonable expectations.
• 71% of workers say they have anxiety on weekends about returning to work on Monday.
• 53% say they have nightmares about their toxic boss.
• 41% have sought therapy because of a toxic boss.
• 68% of those with a toxic boss have heard the phrase “What I say is final because I am the boss.”
• 66% say they have heard “You’re lucky to have a job in today’s economy.”
• 66% of people with a toxic boss say they’re actively job-hunting – yet most (72%) have to stay in their job for financial reasons, and 65% cannot quit because they would lose their benefits.

The date paints a dismal picture of the mental state of today’s workforce. If today’s CEOs plan to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world, they will need to lead inspired employees armed with the strategies and processes necessary to achieve the desired results. Leading for what’s next will require asking a different question than “What have you done for ME lately?”

What’s the Right Question? 

The right question is, “What can I do for YOU today?” Find out what your people need in your quest to create an optimal environment where everyone can perform at their very best. Follow the lead of the highest-performing organizations in the world, who are that way for a reason. They focus on people and processes to achieve their goals—not the other way around.

You can find examples in the Blue Angels, the secondary schoolteachers in Finland, the University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball Team, Team SKY, and MullenLowe Global, a marketing communication company headquartered in London. They create environments that attract top talent, enjoy a high level of psychological safety, and inspire a commitment to their craft and to one another. Together, it allows them to set high expectations of themselves, their co-workers, and anyone who seeks the privilege of being a part of their organization. Their leaders are servant leaders, not heroes. They are a part of the organization, not apart from it, and together, they work, make mistakes, learn, and prevail.

Summary 

None of the outstanding organizations mentioned above became that way overnight. It’s a one-step-at-a-time proposition. Meeting the challenges that lie before you starts with asking the right question. After that, it’s about staying true to your values, being connected to your employees, meeting their needs, leading them to greatness, and celebrating your successes together.

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Written by Leo Bottary.

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